I am sure we can agree on this. A win is not a guarantee next week (nor any week) in the NFL. Gotta get them when you can. If they play this way vs. the Bengals (with Palmer and those WRs), Pittsburgh will lose. Eventually, Ben has to lose a game to one of the Ohio based teams, doesn't he??

Of course I'd rather lose to an NFC team then AFC, but how about not losing at all to an inferior opponent? We should strive to win games we should win, not rationalize/justify the loss. There are plenty of much tougher games out there in which you can "justify a loss."

I don't really ever post here very often anymore, mainly due to me feeling bad/being embarassed about looking like an ass in a manner similar to yourself a couple of years ago. Back then, I guess I was taking the game too seriously, but enough of my biography.

I will from time to time post something if I see some shit that really bothers me, and the comment that I bolded is kinda stupid. Well not kinda stupid, really stupid, but that's not the point.

In my opinion, and it's an opinion that is shared by lots of the people, there is more talent spread across the NFC this year, as far as overall team quality goes. This can obviously be argued, but IMO, this is at best a 50/50 split, as far as which conference has the most promise and talent. With that said, prior to last week, the bears were the talk of being a very strong candidate for the super bowl this year and one of the teams that rated as top of the class in the NFC. They are a team with a very decent offense. Regardless of what you may or may not say about cutler (who seems to always perform decently against us and is a pro bowl level player), their offense has lots of talent spread across the field. On top of that, their defense is reasonably strong from top to bottom, with some obvious weaknesses in the secondary.

So with this in mind, how do you really in your mind rationalize the fact that you claim that Chicago is an "inferior opponent"? Aside from lack of tried and tested experience and big game wins, I find this to be a team that stacks up very well against us. Keeping in mind that we were short the heart of our defense and in my mind, the best player in football, and they were also down their best defensive player, I think this game comes out pretty even.

I mean really, why are you acting like we lost to the chiefs or the raiders?

I am sure we can agree on this. A win is not a guarantee next week (nor any week) in the NFL. Gotta get them when you can. If they play this way vs. the Bengals (with Palmer and those WRs), Pittsburgh will lose. Eventually, Ben has to lose a game to one of the Ohio based teams, doesn't he??

Look, I have the monopoly on over-reactionary, hyper-critical douchebaggery. So you keep this up, you're gonna owe me $37 per post for your sky is falling shit, cuz I cornered the market on that aeons ago.

If they play how they played tonight, who the fuck knows. The season is long, better to confront the warts early and head-on. Have some faith in Tomlin's ability to see the big picture.

Put another way, this may be Tomlin's biggest test: how do you cope with an offense that misfires like a lawn mower with a bad spark plug, and a defense that looks to have dropped off from a season for the ages? How do you rally the troops, inspire, and goad the coaches to go beyond?

Do you lack faith in the players?

Or do you lack faith in Tomlin?

Or both?

For me, I think the failings of the players can be subsumed and overcome by the coach doing what great coaches do. Look at the early season records and performances of teams like the 2000 Ravens, 2001 Patriots, 2002 Bucs, 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, 2008 Steelers... None of these teams exactly screamed "Super Bowl winners."

We're no worse off, and in many ways better off.

Titans and Bears were two good opponents to start. Had we lost to the Titans and beaten the Bears, it would be a matter of style points, no? Perspective. Perspective. Perspective.

It's a long season. There are ups and downs. Remember that at this point last year, everyone saw Dallas going to the Super Bowl and the Colts looked like they were in big trouble with Manning looking as rusty as he did.

Things change, man. Guys who start the year banged up get better. Young guys have a lightbulb go on. The thing with these Steelers that I feel great about -- there are a lot of young or hurt guys on this team who could give this team a jolt with fresh legs in the second half of the year:

Timmons -- This guy can be the playmaker Foote wasn't Mendenhall -- it's a matter of time before he's a regular contributorWallace & Sweed -- By November, Wallace will know this offense much better, and I think Sweed is a talented guyPolamalu -- he'll be back out there Hood -- Ziggy looks like he can make an impact, and I think he will before it's overLogan -- he's going to give us a key TD at some point this year

I don't mean to counter the negativity with stupid optimism -- I just want to point out that it's a long season and we have a lot of assets we're not even fully using right now.

Maybe I am just seeing things differently then "lots of people", but I do not consider the Bears a legit contender. A QB who has never played a meaningful snap in his career in the NFL. No WR's to speak of. Holes all over the secondary. Contender? Maybe, but I doubt it.

It's not that they lost, but how they lost. Was I overreacting after the loss with frustration? Probably. But this was still a game they could have (and should have) won.

Anyways, I digress...no point to argue with one another...we are all entitled to our opinions and if we all thought the same about everything all the time, there really wouldn't be much point to post here, would there?

FYI, I am not saying the sky is falling at all. Nor am I believing they will lose next week. All I am saying is if the level of play must improve. I'm sure Tomlin sees that and I'm sure the players see that. It just irks me when the Steelers beat the Steelers, that's all.

Also, one of the reasons why I love this place is when I am feeling some doubt or frustration about the boys, someone is here to pick you back up and smack you back into reality. Some in kinder ways then others, but it's all good.

Also, one of the reasons why I love this place is when I am feeling some doubt or frustration about the boys, someone is here to pick you back up and smack you back into reality. Some in kinder ways then others, but it's all good.

And just so it's cleared up, since many of you either wouldn't know me, or wouldn't remember me, I wasn't making my post in any way trying to belittle you. I was just curious is all. It is true that we beat ourselves, but I still think claiming the bears are a bottom of the barrel level team is a faulty assumption.

Anyway, I guess I was just hoping to take away whatever positive things I could from this game and what I got was pretty much this

1. Timmons looked respectable in the return, so that's good to see. Hope he doesn't tweak the injury as that type of injury is known to do that for weeks on end.2. Our line looked better in my opinion. Still looked okayish with pass blocking, and at least got a little push on a few run plays and actually made a handful of real holes this game, which is an improvement I suppose3. Parker, while not looking spectacular, did look better than he did last game, wrt all the dancing and hesitation. Also seemed to have a little more burst from my seat.4. Think that kick/punt returner guy could be pretty decent, not counting the fumble and what I thought was a bad decision on that 2nd and 15 catch in the 4th with not fighting for the first.

This team has problems, to be sure, but every team does. Every NFL team is capable of looking great or sloppy for long stretches of time.

With this Steeler team, though, so far, do we really look much different than we've looked since, I don't know, 2005? Each year from (and including) 2005 to now, we have:

- run the ball inconsistenly, generally having trouble running against good teams- gone hot & cold in the passing game, with long stretches of futility puncuated with big-play ability and superb two-minute drills- have given up a lot of sacks- shut the run down defensively like em-effing clockwork- limited big plays by the other team- good red zone defense- had a reliable FG kicker (maybe not the best week to point this out, granted)- put a very good pass-rushing scheme on the field, which depends on trickery, and, once in a while, we run into a team that's well-prepared for it and executes protection against it well

Where we've seen greater variance is: - in our pass coverage on the back end- our red zone offense, great last year, not so good in '06 and '07- our short-yardage offense, which used to be good, is sucky now for a season + 2 games- special teams, overall

Add up all these elements and we are what we've been: a generally hard team to beat, sometimes dominating, and sometimes a bit challenged to put points on the board. We have room for improvement in some areas, but I'm heartened that the core of what we do is pretty much where we've been for the last few years.

If any major spot on the team can improve dramatically -- if the running game can make the leap that our pass coverage made last year -- then it wouldn't surprise me to see us hit a win streak of 8, 9, or 10 games and finish 13-3 or 14-2. If we continue to struggle running the ball and the defense slips considerably from last year, we're going to play a close game against any average-or-better team we play where a few plays here and there will decide whether we finish 11-5 or 8-8. I think that's about where we are right now, and i'm looking forward to next week.

Also, one of the reasons why I love this place is when I am feeling some doubt or frustration about the boys, someone is here to pick you back up and smack you back into reality. Some in kinder ways then others, but it's all good.

Hope you're not thinking I'm trying to "smack you down" or some shit. It really is about trying to snap you back to some balance. Like buying you a shot of Johnny when we just blew the game, 'cept of course we're not drinking this out. But seriously, if we were, I'd buy some Johnny, punch you upside the head, get you in a headlock and blubber "I luh you mahhhnnnnn...!"